Florida State College at Jacksonville is a member of the Florida College System and is not affiliated with any other public or private university or college in Florida or elsewhere. Florida State College is a division of Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Florida State College at Jacksonville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the baccalaureate and associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Florida State College at Jacksonville. The Commission is to be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support an institution’s significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard.

Health Information Management (2277) (A.S.)

Associate in Science

Mission Statement

Creating competent, ethical, confident entry–level health care practitioners committed to professional development through life–long learning in a positive, non–discriminatory and supportive learning environment.

The Career

Health information management is concerned with the management of systems to collect, store, process, retrieve, analyze, disseminate and communicate information related to the research, planning, provision, financing and evaluation of health care services.

Graduates of this program are known as health information technicians. Entry–level health information technicians may be employed in a variety of settings. Some of the common job titles include: coder, supervisor and medical record technician. Opportunities for practice include physician’s office settings, long–term care facilities, home health care agencies, ambulatory settings, federal health care agencies, behavioral health care organizations, insurance companies and acute care hospitals.

For additional information about the health information management profession, call, write or e–mail:

The Program

The Health Information Management program is a combination of general education and professional courses including lecture, laboratory and clinical education components. Graduates of the program are prepared as entry–level practitioners. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are awarded an A.S. degree. Graduates are then eligible to take the national examination to become a registered health information technician. The HIM Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

Admission to this program is limited and is based on completion of specific prerequisite courses (see application procedure) with a grade of “C” or better. Students may find it difficult to work during the professional phase of the program due to clinical demands. Students may not take the responsibility of qualified staff. However, after demonstrating proficiency, students may be permitted to undertake certain defined activities with appropriate supervision and direction. Students may be employed in the field of study outside regular educational hours paid and subject to standard employer policies.

Expected Job Growth and Earnings

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of HIM professionals is expected to grow much faster than the average. Nationally, the average salary for HIM professionals is $30,000–$40,000 annually.

Certification and Licensing

Upon completion of this program, graduates must successfully complete an AHIMA certification exam. A credential validates your competence as an HIM professional to employers and the public. A Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) credential requires an associate’s degree and successful performance on the RHIT certification exam.

Accreditation

The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management (CAHIIM) in conjunction with the Council on Accreditation of AHIMA.

Application Procedure

To meet the minimum requirements for consideration for acceptance to the Health Information Management program, students must submit a completed HIM program application.

Record of Conviction of a Crime

Effective July 1, 2009, pursuant to Section 456.0635, Florida Statutes, health care review boards shall refuse to renew a license, certificate or registration, issue a license, certificate or registration and shall refuse to admit a candidate for examination if the applicant has been convicted or plead guilty or nolo contendre, regardless of adjudication, to a felony violation of: chapters 409, 817, or 893, Florida Statutes; or 21 U.S.C. ss. 801-970 or 42 U.S.C. ss. 1395-1396, unless the sentence and any probation or pleas ended more than 15 years prior to the application, terminated for cause from Florida Medicaid Program (unless the applicant has been in good standing for the most recent 5 years) or terminated for cause by any other State Medicaid Program or the Medicare Program (unless the termination was at least 20 years prior to the date of the application and the applicant has been in good standing with the program for the most recent 5 years). The Florida nursing or allied health licensure or certification application requires disclosure of any criminal history and the disposition of all cases prior to board review. Being convicted of, or having entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendre to, any of the listed felonies in Florida Statute 456.0635 or termination for cause from the statutorily-described Medicaid programs will preclude an applicant from obtaining a nursing or allied health license or certification in the state of Florida. Entry and acceptance into the nursing or allied health program does not guarantee licensure or certification in the State of Florida.

Graduation Requirements

In order to be awarded the associate in science or associate in applied science degree, students must have met the following requirements:

Earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) at Florida State College in courses eligible toward the associate in science or applied science degree programs (A.S. Florida State College GPA or A.A.S. Florida State College GPA).

Earned an all–college cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) on all courses attempted, including transferred credits. (All college cumulative).

Completed at least 25 percent of credit semester hours required for the degree at Florida State College.

Completed a minimum of 60 semester hours, as specified by the degree, of which a minimum of 15 semester hours must be General Education requirements.

Can demonstrate mastery of the Information Literacy Assessment. Refer to the assessment section for details.

Note: Students are cautioned to pay particular attention to the following statements.

Graduation dates will be the date at the end of the college term in which the students complete the academic requirements for the degree or certificate for which students are applicants. (The removal of an incomplete grade does not affect students’ graduation dates, since the grade change is effective as of the end of the term in which the incomplete grade was assigned rather than the term in which the incomplete work was made up.)

If students expect to complete the coursework under the terms of the catalog in effect during the term of their first registration, they must graduate within five years or they will need to be reassigned to an active catalog. Accordingly, students who enter under this catalog (2010/2011) must graduate by the end of the Summer Term 2015, or they will automatically be reassigned to the 2014/2015 catalog requirements. Changes to requirements as mandated by law or by rule of the District Board of Trustees may supersede this provision.

The General Education Requirements may be taken on any Florida State College campus or center.

Many courses in this catalog have prerequisite and/or corequisite courses which are listed in the course descriptions. Students are advised to be guided by these requirements.

Students who place into college preparatory courses are required to complete designated college preparatory courses with a grade of “C” or better regardless of program of study.

Students enrolling in associate in applied science programs must pass all sections of the placement test before award of an A.A.S. degree, regardless of the degree program’s general education requirements.

Degree–seeking students whose native language is not English, who fall below a designated cutoff score on the English as a second language (ESL) entry placement test, will be required to take ESL courses with EAP prefix prior to registering for other college credit classes. The level of these courses will be determined by the entry placement scores. Individual exceptions will be determined by the ESL program manager.

Degree–seeking students identified as non–native speakers must take an English as a second language (ESL) placement test prior to taking the College’s standard course placement test. Students who place into ESL, as determined by the test, must complete ESL courses before registering for other college credit classes. Non–degree seeking college credit students who plan to take English or reading courses must also meet these requirements. Exceptions to these requirements can be made by the ESL program manager or designee.

Articulation

This A.S. degree program articulates into a bachelor’s degree program. For more information, please visit the Transfer Services Web page and look for your A.S. program of study.

University Transfer

This associate in science degree program is intended primarily for students who desire to complete an associate in science degree and become employed. Students who decide to pursue university transfer study must meet certain course and test requirements. For details refer to the University Transfer Guide.